Method of preparing a compound concentrate and processing such a concentrate

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method of preparing a compound for the prevention of a contamination of raw materials, products, water and/or production means, which compound comprises at least hydrogen peroxide, glycerol and glycol acid, and wherein a mixture of glycerol and glycol acid is added to the hydrogen peroxide. The glycerol and glycol acid are combine and stirred while admixing a stabilizer for peroxide mixtures to form a stable gel-like concentrate, and subsequently when required, the concentrate is added in its entirety to the hydrogen peroxide in a previously determined ratio in order to form the compound.

This is a U.S. national phase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 ofInternational Patent Application No. PCT/NL01/00584, filed Jul. 30,2001, and claims the benefit of Dutch Patent Application No. 1015856,filed Aug. 2, 2000. The International Application was published inEnglish on Feb. 7, 2002 as WO 02/09521 A2 under PCT Article 21(2).

The invention relates to a method of preparing a compound for theprevention of a contamination of raw materials, products, water and/orproduction means, which compound comprises at least hydrogen peroxide,glycerol and glycol acid, and wherein a mixture of glycerol and glycolacid is added to the hydrogen peroxide.

Such a method is known from the Dutch patent 1003316 in the name ofapplicant.

In the known method the compound is prepared from at least hydrogenperoxide, glycerol and glycol acid, wherein a solution of the glyceroland a solution of glycol acid is mixed and this mixture is addeddropwise to a solution of hydrogen peroxide under conditions such thatthe solution of hydrogen peroxide maintains a temperature of 7° C., andpreferably less than 4° C. The ratio hydrogen peroxide, glycerol andglycol acid to be applied is described extensively in said patent1003316, so that for the sake of brevity reference is made thereto.

It is known that particularly in warmer regions a suitable disinfectionmethod and compound are of great importance. A disadvantage of thecompound disclosed in the Dutch patent 1003316 is that when productiondoes not take place locally, large amounts of the aqueous compoundobtained by the prior art method have to be transported, which involveshigh transport costs. This problem is not only inherent to the compoundobtained according to the method of the Dutch patent 1003316, theinvention of which dates back to 1996. The problem applies to the sameextent to the product obtained in accordance with the European patentapplication EP-A-0 603 329, the invention of which dates back to 1991.

The primary objective of the inventors of the product proposed accordingto the Dutch patent 1003316 is the adaptation of the method such as tocut the aforementioned high transport costs.

Another object of the invention is to combat the explosive characterassociated with the known production method of the compound.

According to the invention the method of preparing a compound for theprevention of a contamination of raw materials, products, water and/orproduction means is characterized in that the glycerol and the glycolacid are combined and stirred while admixing a stabilizer for peroxidemixtures to form a stable gel-like concentrate, and in that subsequentlywhen required, the concentrate is added in its entirety to the hydrogenperoxide in a previously determined ratio, in order to form thecompound.

Surprisingly it has been found that in the method according to theinvention there is no need at all for the concentrate to be addeddropwise to the hydrogen peroxide while maintaining a temperature ofbelow 7°, and preferably below 4°, as is required in the prior art.

On the contrary, in accordance with the invention the method ispreferably performed such that prior to being added to the hydrogenperoxide, the concentrate has a temperature of approximately 20° C. Thispromotes proper and quick mixing to obtain the desired compound.

It is further preferred that the glycerol and the glycol acid becombined and subsequently stirred for at least 7 minutes while thestabilizer is being added, until the concentrate is clear andhomogeneous. This is a simple, reproducible and reliable manner forobtaining the concentrate that is suitable for transport from a centrallocation of preparation to a particular location where it isincorporated for the formation of the final compound. This aspectprovides the key to the reduction of the considerable transport costsknown from the prior art method. For the formation of the concentrate itis further desirable that prior to combining the glycerol and the glycolacid, they both have a temperature ranging from 18–24° C. Themaintenance of this temperature promotes mixing due to the fact thatglycerol and glycol acid then have a suitable viscosity value.

As will be clear from the foregoing, the invention is also embodied inthe concentrate as such, which is characterized in that the samecomprises at least glycerol, glycol acid and a stabilizer for peroxidemixtures while being substantially free of hydrogen peroxide.

The invention is further embodied in the processing of this concentratefor the preparation of a compound for the disinfection of raw materials,products, water and/or production means, wherein the concentrate isadded in its entirety at a previously determined quantity of hydrogenperoxide for the formation of the compound.

The concentrate according to the invention may, for example, comprisethe following components:

a) glycol acid in a 57% concentration for 31.25/100 parts;

b) stabilizer for peroxide mixtures for 6.25/100 parts; and

c) glycerol in pharmaquality USP 1.26 for 62.5/100 parts.

For the production of the compound for the prevention of a contaminationof raw materials, products, water and/or production means, the thusobtained concentrate is to be added to hydrogen peroxide. To this end,for example, 8% by weight of concentrate may be added to 92% by weightof a 50% hydrogen peroxide solution.

1. A method of preparing a contaminated prevention formulationcomprising the steps of: (a) mixing glycerol and glycol acid to form amixture, (b) mixing the mixture with a stabilizer for peroxide to form astable gel-like concentrate, and (c) adding the concentrate to hydrogenperoxide, wherein the concentrate and hydrogen peroxide are not cooledbelow ambient temperature.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior tostep (a), glycerol is at a temperature ranging from 18–24° C.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the mixture is stirred for at least 7 minuteswhile the stabilizer is being added.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe concentrate is clear and homogenous.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the concentrate is added to the hydrogen peroxide in itsentirety.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature of theconcentrate prior to being to the hydrogen peroxide is approximately 20°C.